Greater movement of cricketers needs to be discussed: Mali

MELBOURNE: ICC chairman Ray Mali has said former Australian coach John Buchanan's radical idea of allowing cricketers to play for the country of their choice needs to be given a serious thought as it may help globalize the game.
    
"I have always believed that cricket, as a global game, cannot remain static. With what John Buchanan is proposing, we must study it and look at its merits. John is a student of the game, and he has spent a large part of his career devising new ways of improving things," Mali was quoted as saying in 'The Age'.
    
We need to explore it further and see if it is possible to move forward with it," he added.
    
Mali said he would meet Buchanan to discuss the potentially path-breaking plan.
    
"We should be using the expertise in Australia to improve cricket around the world. We cannot close the door on new ideas, new thinking about the game. The ICC needs to talk and listen to John. I will be in Australia for the Adelaide Test, and I will attempt to meet him while I am there to discuss his ideas further," he explained.
    
Buchanan had said that international cricket has become static with Ricky Ponting's men dominating both forms of the game and greater movement of players was a possible solution to the stagnation.
    
The former Australian coach also felt that the free movement of players would help in globalising the game.
    
The current ICC regulations state that a player has to spend at least 183 days for four successive years in a country to be eligible to play for it.